Beyond the Super Bowl ad: Why Jewish teens need more than a moment to fight antisemitism in schools

In February, during the Super Bowl, a message about antisemitism reached one of the largest audiences in American history. It was clear, direct, and difficult to ignore. For a brief moment, the country’s attention was focused on a problem that Jewish communities have been navigating for years.

People watched. They talked about it. They shared it.

And then the moment passed.

Now the school year is coming to an end. Lockers are being cleaned out and yearbooks are being signed. For many students, summer is a time to relax and reset. For Jewish teenagers, however, a more difficult question lingers as they leave school for the year.

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What will be different when I come back?

Across the country, Jewish students continue to navigate real antisemitism. Some are being called "baby killers" by classmates. Some are told that Hitler "should have finished the job." Some show up to school to find a swastika drawn on the wall. Others are bullied online, threatened in hallways, mocked for supporting Israel, or made to feel that simply expressing their Jewish identity makes them a target.

At the same time, there is another reality unfolding in those very same schools.

I lead NCSY and the Jewish Student Union, and in more than 550 middle and high schools across the United States, students are choosing to gather in optional Jewish clubs and programs that create a very different kind of experience. 

Jewish teens come together not only with each other, but often with non-Jewish classmates who are genuinely curious to learn about Judaism, Israel and Jewish life. These are spaces where students build friendships, ask difficult questions and engage with Jewish identity in a way that feels authentic and meaningful.

These moments are not defined by fear. They are defined by curiosity, by openness and by a sense of pride.

This is what real strength looks like.

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It is important to be clear about something. Creating schools that are fully safe environments for Jewish students is essential, and schools, communities and policymakers have a responsibility to address antisemitism directly. That work cannot be ignored.

But long-term resilience is built in a different way.

A young person who understands their story, who has experienced their tradition and who feels connected to a larger community carries a kind of confidence that cannot be easily shaken. That confidence does not come from a single conversation or a public moment. It develops over time through relationships, shared experiences and consistent engagement with something meaningful.

This is the work we are focused on. It is not about teaching teenagers how to win arguments. It is about helping them build a sense of identity that is strong enough and lived deeply enough, that it cannot be undone by a comment in a hallway or a headline online. 

A student who has experienced the joy of Shabbat, who has built friendships across communities, and who feels connected to their heritage, carries a kind of emotional and psychological strength that others cannot take away.

When students return to school after experiences like these, the environment around them may not have changed. But they have. They are more grounded, more connected and more confident in who they are.

They do not rely on a moment to tell them who they are.

That distinction matters, especially now.

The question is not whether the Super Bowl message was meaningful. The question is whether we are willing to act on it in ways that create lasting change.

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The decisions that will shape the next school year are being made right now. Parents are speaking with administrators. School leaders are reviewing policies and procedures. Community organizations are planning for the months ahead. These conversations will determine what students walk back into in the fall.

Now is the time. Which schools are opening new Jewish Student Union clubs? Which summer programs are helping teens prepare for the challenges and opportunities they will face when they return to campus? Which parents are encouraging their children to participate in Jewish extracurricular life, build Jewish friendships and deepen their connection to their identity before the next school year begins?

This work rarely becomes national news. It does not air during the Super Bowl. But it is the kind of work that shapes whether a Jewish teenager walks into school feeling isolated or supported, hesitant or proud.

If we are serious about addressing antisemitism, then we cannot limit ourselves to statements and awareness campaigns alone. We must invest in the relationships, communities and experiences that give young people the confidence to stand tall as Jews long before they encounter hostility in a classroom or hallway.

By the end of the summer, Jewish students will return to their schools. They will quickly understand whether the adults around them treated this issue as a passing moment or as a real responsibility.

They are watching. And they will know.